Cleaning up: Napkin collector keeps breaking own world record

By Jack Flanagan

A NAPKIN fanatic has quadrupled her world record breaking collection - and it's still growing

Scroll down for the full story

Videographer / director: Robert Nemeti
Producer: Bunmi Adigun, Nick Johnson
Editor: Joshua Douglas

Antonia Kozakova began her napkin collection 19 years ago

Slovakian Antonia Kozakova, 42, has smashed her own Guinness world record and now owns an incredible 80,000 napkins reportedly worth well over £300,000.

Antonia, who lives in Ruska in Eastern Slovakia, first made global headlines in 2007 when it was revealed that she had a then unprecedented 21,000 serviettes.

There are no duplicate napkins in her incredible collection, each one is unique

She first broke her own world record in 2013 by amassing 62,500 different napkins and has now crushed that figure with her latest achievement.

The collection includes everything from conventional flower patterns to a replica of a £50 note and a portrait of Beatles drummer, Ringo Starr.

The Slovakian is incredibly proud of her record - breaking collection

Some of the towels even date back to the 1940s.

Antonia spoke about how she organises her massive collection - which amazingly contains no duplicates.

The napkin fanatic is determined to keep on increasing her collection

She said: “They are sorted in the boxes by categories. Every box is covered in nice wrapping paper. They are all categorised.

"Honestly, I find lots of happiness in the napkin collection. I love doing it and I am very proud of what I have achieved so far.”

Antonia was sent napkins from other collectors and traders

The collector started working on her colourful assortment 19 years ago after a chronic health issue affected her mobility.

And after the initial press coverage, Antonia discovered a thriving community of napkin traders who were delighted to help grow her collection.

The Slovakian has an award - winning collection of towels

She said: “I buy lots of them through internet shops. I am also in touch with nearly 30 other collectors from Slovakia, Norway and one in Hungary.

“I have a guest book that I am also very proud of, as after some time I will be able to tell who came to visit me and my napkins.

“First and foremost I am very grateful for my family and my husband, as they always supported me.”

You name it, she's got a napkin of it, including The Beatles!

Determined Antonia, who was given a car by her family as a gift to celebrate reaching 80,000 napkins, said she will never stop collecting.

She said: “When I hit 4000 napkins, I decided to reach 50,000 - I did it, so I set myself another goal of 100,000.”

There is even a guestbook for visitors to sign who come to see her colourful serviettes

Antonia broke her own world record in napkin collecting, and is prepared to do so again

Apart from aiming for the magical six figure number, Antonia says her other napkin related goals include a napkin with her name and face and one signed by her favourite actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“There hasn’t been a single day I’ve regretted this collection," she says.